the vibration of her phone on the nightstand. She groggily reached for it, squinting at the bright screen. A message from Jake glowed at the top: Meet me at the coffee shop? Just us.
Her stomach did a strange little flip, the kind that was equal parts excitement and nerves. She stared at the message for a few moments, her thumbs hovering above the keyboard before she finally replied with a simple Okay. As she got ready, she found herself overthinking every detail - from which jumper made her look approachable but not like she had tried too hard, to whether or not to wear the necklace Jake once said looked nice on her.
The café was warm and smelled like roasted coffee beans and freshly baked pastries. Jake was already there, sitting by the window with two steaming mugs in front of him. He smiled when he saw her, and for a moment the rest of the world blurred.
"I figured we should talk… without Marrie and Sophie jumping in every five seconds," he said with a playful grin.
They ended up talking for over an hour. Their conversation wandered from silly childhood memories to the truth they'd both been dancing around for years. They admitted how long they'd liked each other, how they'd each been afraid to ruin their friendship, and how strange yet thrilling it felt to finally acknowledge the truth. Every time Jake reached for his mug, his fingers brushed hers. Neither of them moved away - and neither of them wanted to.
But when Krisma stepped out of the café into the cool afternoon air, reality began to settle in like a slow-moving cloud. Marrie and Sophie. How would they take the news? Would the dynamic between the four of them shift in ways they couldn't undo?
Later that afternoon, the group gathered at Sophie's house. The living room smelled faintly of popcorn, and music played softly in the background. Krisma tried to act normal, laughing at Sophie's jokes and joining in the banter, but Marrie's eyes kept narrowing at her like she was piecing together a puzzle.
Finally, Marrie dropped herself onto the couch beside Krisma with a dramatic sigh. "Okay," she said, crossing her arms. "You and Jake. Spill."
Krisma froze mid-sip of her drink, but before she could respond, Jake strolled over and sat down on her other side, draping his arm casually along the back of the couch. "We were going to tell you both," he said, his tone calm but warm.
Sophie's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but her lips curled into a knowing smile. "About time," she said with a chuckle.
Marrie rolled her eyes in mock annoyance but grinned all the same. "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to being the third wheel - or fourth wheel? Whatever we are now."
Krisma laughed, the sound mingling with everyone else's, and felt the tight knot of anxiety in her chest loosen. Maybe things wouldn't be exactly the same as before. Maybe they'd change in ways none of them could predict. But as she looked around the room at the people she loved most, and then at Jake - who gave her that small, steady smile - she thought that change might not be something to fear at all.
Maybe, just maybe, things could be even better than before.